Board of Law Reporting and Reform Commission inaugurated

A 10-member board of the Council for Law Reporting and Law Reform Commission was on Tuesday inaugurated to give strategic direction and good governance in the preparation and publication of the country’s law reports.

The board is to develop innovative ways of mobilising financial resources to improve the performance of the sector to perform its functions in an efficient and effective manner.

The Board of Council for Law Reporting has Justice Sophia O. Adinyira as the Chairman, with Mr Emmanuel Yaw Benneh, Mr Benjamin N.T Ashong-Katai, Mr Anthony Forson Jnr, Dr Dominic A.Ayine and Mrs Joyce Oku as members.

The Commissioners of Law Reform are Justice Dr S. K. Date-Bah, Chairman, with Justice S.N. Gbadegbe, Justice Vida Akoto-Bamfo and Ms Juliette Akusika M. Dadzie as members.

The Council for Law Reporting Act provides that the Council is responsible for the preparation and publication of the “Ghana Law Reports” containing the judgements, rulings and opinions of the superior courts of judicature.

It may also effect any other publications that, in the opinion of the board, could conveniently be effected together with the preparation and publication of the reports.

Law reports allow judges, lawyers, decision makers, the public and the international community to inform themselves about latest development of the country’s jurisprudence.

Mrs Marietta Brew Appiah-Oppong, Minister of Justice and Attorney-General, administering the official oath and the oath of secrecy to members of the board, urged them to work assiduously and selflessly to improve the operations of law reporting in the country.

Mrs Appiah-Oppong said law reporting played an important role in the administration of justice in that it offered full and accurate availability and easy access to the jurisprudence of superior courts.

She said the law reports would assist to establish precedents that guided the assessment of other cases and to better understand the provisions of the Constitution, relevant statutes, and rules and regulations as applied by the Supreme Court.

Justice Adinyira said the board would adopt policies to ensure the effective performance of the council.

She said section 15 requires that judges of the superior courts submitted certified true copies of their judgments as soon as practicable after delivery while section 16 required the registrars of the superior courts to send monthly returns of judgments, ruling and opinions of the judges.

Justice Adinyira urged government to increase the budgetary allocation for the council to enable it to publish the law reports on time.

Justice Date-Bah expressed appreciation for the confidence reposed in them and pledged their resolute support to keep the law in line with the fast changing society.